Plaster or bandage for skin application



1951 H. s. ATHERTON PLASTER OR BANDAGE FOR SKIN APPLICATION Filed Dec. 6. 1947 IN VE TOR.

Patented Dec. 11, 1951 7 2,577,945 masses or: fiANDAGEFoit SKIfi APPLICATION Harold Starr Athertoir; nsh'dit, Mich: Aspiration ncemter 6, 1947, si-ia'l N6. 696,159

Claims. (01. 1 28 156 This invention relates to tapes, bandages, plasters, dressin s and similar devices for posi tioning over or securing to the bod surface or skin of a person for protection or treatment such as of a medical nature; for instance, treatment in the nature of localized hydrotherapy or thermo'thrapy.

The invention has for its object to provide in such a device, and as a feature thereof, means for conserving and localizing heat or other body radiations within the area to which the tape, bandage,plaster, or such device is applied, as a means of producing beneficial results merely as a result of su'ch heat or moisture conservation, or as the effect of such conservation in modifying of accelerating the action of medication or treat mentpreceding or combined with its use.

lhus the improved device may be utilized not only for the treatment of actual skin surface but in many cases for tissues underlying the surface ene y also be quite beneficial in promoting localized dilation of blood vessels in a manner very desirable in certain'typ'es of therapy.

More particularly, the" invention contemplates the provision, as a characteristic of or in asso ciation with such a device, of a reflective surface which may or may not be ventilated in accord 'a ric'e with the desirability dictated by the particu la-r' circumstances ofits use; but, more particu- V larly; the said invention contemplates the pro-- vision in such a device of a highly reflective surlfac'e area- (such 3J5 of a metallic nature) for posi-f tionirrg in opposition to the body surface or skin of E F/59 Still further, the said invention contemplates the provision, Where necessary or desirable, of means for spacing the reflective surface of'th device from the body surface or skin of the w arer either to provide an enclosed space between the said surfaces or to provide for accommodation of medicated dressings or a protective layer of material. 7 I

The invention is further capable of adaptation in many forms to meet varying requirements whereby the said reflective surface may be in itself provided with an adhesive, or whereby it may be supported or mounted onan adhesive tape, bandage, or plaster. Or the reflective surface may be in the form of a reflective material (such as metallic foil) heldin position byl attached to, or contained within a gauze or similar bandage which may be secured to the body surface of the patient in any suitable manner.

Still further objects or advantages additional or subsidiary to the aforesaidobjects, or resulting from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carriedinto efiect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

As examples of different methods in which the gas, teammate be carried in t a ti'ii is di ectea to the accompanying drawing,

rigitte ,1 is, spied 6f the underside or a sample F11 ur 2 is an es s elevation or the same Figure 3 is a plan of the underside of a second or 'i e d i r A l 1 ,Figiire 4 is'an edge elevation of said second I Figure 5 is plan or the underside of a third torrfiofthedev1ce'; V 2 I v Figure 6 is a section orsu'ch third ronntaken 011 a plane indicated by the line e t in Figure 5';

is I Figure 7 is a, piari' or the underside or a fourth formofthdvic'" H ear vi'wo'f the same aken 7 a i .1, i, i. it its broa aspect thj invention consists in provision or the positioning of areflctive mati ea or r. t ral" ovi'gt' w s a e ve H a desired may area in such Ill 811 1% tithes willip rnfiit such sur'faceito other rays sheltering rom the underlying-body surface, or from medication or reat a i artist i bi he am er surface, back into medic or treatment; iii'ater'ial' or into" the s'lgi'n' of surfac'e tissues as I f causing such reflected heat olfother rays toj assist in the m6;

lit tqj j isie ar ats: merr esim ly an llPQ-F? ,1. n ve inse t-at ns fi sl sl rii i aieseiep e hei ie i th n. 1 F9 e l at l ef plura ty o na l a assof e fi fe; '4! .rra v edrch; tsifa Th a h iv might well be of a well-known pressure-sensitive nature J a i i In the example shown in Figuresl3 and-'4; the" reflective tin-foil or other layer 20' is" shown as being simply attached to the adhesive surface 'of arr adhesive plaster 22 with the surface'o'f the plaster extendingbeyond-"th'e'edges of therefiec tive sheet 26 so that these edges" may adhere to the body surface to which the improved plaster is applied; and, in Figures 5 and 6, the reflective sheet 20 is similarly backed by an adhesive plaster 22, but in this case the tin foil or other material forming the reflective sheet is perforated, as at 23, to expose areas of the adhesive of the plaster 22 so that these exposed areas may adhere to the body surface to hold the reflective member 'in position thereon. In this example both the reflective member 20 and the adhesive backing plaster 22 are shown as being perforated as at 24 and 25 to permit ventilation should this be desirable, as will be well understood.

Where it is desired to definitely space the reflective material from the surfaceto which the bandage or plaster is applied, I may provide a marginal or other raised wall structure 26 about the said material 20, as shown in Figures '1 and 8, and this wall structure-may be continuous or otherwise according to desirability. The said Figures 7 and 8 show also the reflective material 20 and the wall structure 26 as being both secured to the adhesive face of an adhesive tape or plaster 22 in the manner which will be obvious.

The reflective material may be further carried by or within a gauze or similar flexible bandage or wrapping, and in Figures 9 and 10 such a gauze bandage 21 is shown provided with a second layer of gauze or similar material 28 with the reflective material 22 positioned between the two layers 21 and 28; and, in Figures 11 and 12, a strip of the reflective material 22 is simply wrapped within the folds of an overlapped length of gauze or bandage material.

It will be obvious that the layer of reflective material may be positioned directly over the skin of the body surface of a person or over treatment-material, which may be held in or on the body surface or incorporated in a suitable dressing, with the idea that heat or other rays projecting outwardly of the body surface beneath the reflective material will be reflected back from such reflective material to such surface and therefore not lost to the extent which might otherwise be the case where such a reflective material is not present.

It will be further apparent that, while I prefer to use metallic foil as a cover material for the purposes in mind, the reflective surface may be in some cases printed directly on the tape or bandage material or applied by electrical deposition thereon as well as in other ways generally available.

While it is recognized that practically all materials are somewhat reflective (other than those which are black and of a strictly wave-absorbing nature), it is to be understood that herein, and in the claims, the terms reflective and "reflective material" are intended to be read as reto or held in position on such backing for reasons of convenience in packaging and handling. Where such a backing is not so provided in combination with a foil or reflective medium, as in the example in Figures 1 and 2, a bandage or backing is preferably applied thereover after the foil or medium is positioned over the area being treated, as will be well understood, and the back of the foil so insulated against outward heat loss. Thus the conductivity of the medium, should it be in the nature of a metallic foil, would not offset or materially reduce the efllciency of its ray-reflecting function.

This invention may be developed within the scope of the following claims without departing from the essential features of the said invention, and it is desired that the specification and drawing be read as being merely illustrative of a practical embodiment of the same and not in a strictly limiting sense. 7

What I claim is:

1. A therapeutic device of the class described, comprising a film of heat-reflective material adapted to be positioned over the body surface of a person, and a raised wall structure about the margins of said material to space said material from said body surface.

2. A therapeutic device of the class described, comprising a metallic fllm of heat-reflective material adapted to be positioned over the body surface of a person, and a raised wall structure about the margins of said material to space said material from said body surface.

3. A therapeutic device of the class described, comprising a film of heat-reflective material adapted to be positioned over the body surface of a person, adhesive means for effecting attachment of said film to the said body surface, and a raised wall structure about the margins of said material to space said material from said body surface.

4. A therapeutic device of the class described, comprising a metallic film of heat-reflective material adapted to be positioned over the body surface of a person, adhesive means for effecting attachment of said film to said body. and a raised wall structure about the margins of said material to space said material from said body surface.

5. A therapeutic device of the class described,

comprising a film of heat-reflective material lating to surfaces of a substantially mirror-like nature wherein at least the greater portion of heat or similar waves is thrown back instead of being absorbed. The reflective medium may be of laminate, pellicle, or fllm form either of a self-supporting thickness or of a nature or thickness requiring additional support or reinforcement, as will become apparent, and the use of the term film in the claims is intended to be read as including such forms.

I prefer to utilize the tin foil or reflective medium backed by a relatively non-heat-conducting backing (such as of woven or similar material as in Figures 3-12, inclusive, of the drawings) in order to reduce heat loss to the atmosphere from the outer surface of the said foil or reflective medium; and I also prefer that the foil or reflective medium be actually attached adapted to be positioned over the body surface of a person, heat-insulating backing material for said film, and a raised wall structure about the margins of said material to space said material from said body surface.

HAROLD STARR ATHERTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 363,255 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1931 

